


A Million Lights

by Astrid_Midnight



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Brotherly Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Omen Trailer, Omen!Noctis, because she deserves it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:13:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25734868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Astrid_Midnight/pseuds/Astrid_Midnight
Summary: When Noctis is consumed by the darkness, Luna fights endlessly to save the man she loves. But she's not the only one with the power to save him.They won't fail him.They couldn't._An alternate take on the 'Omen' trailer.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Lunafreya Nox Fleuret & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	A Million Lights

**Author's Note:**

> I started this fic in May and I was finally able to get it done!! This is the longest oneshot I've posted on here, the length of it made it pretty ambitious but I feel pretty good about how it turned out!
> 
> Title is from 'Endlessness', the song from Omen by Really Slow Motion!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!! :D

_Million lights all washed way_   
_Empty space in all its grace_   
_Endlessness is here to stay_   
_Endlessness won't wash away..._

* * *

“Noctis!”, Luna desperately called out.

Her cry fell on deaf ears as a sword was swung down, aiming for her head. Luna helplessly dodged the attack and the sword was lodged into the hot stone beneath them. She stood and blocked another attack from her beloved with the blunt end of her Trident, not wanting to hurt him.

_He’s not himself. Don’t hurt him. Don’t hurt Noctis._

As she parried his attack, the anguish on her face was distinct. Nothing about the man she loved broke through the parasite that was residing within him. But she had to hold out as long as she could until she could find a way to subdue him. Only she had the power to purge the darkness holding him; if she failed, Noctis would be gone forever.

Noctis hit her across the jaw with the handle of his sword. The force made her keel over and she had to press a hand to the ground to stop her from falling to her knees. The hit made her gasp out in pain and she massaged her jaw as she reoriented herself. She was stood right in front of Noctis who had been circling around her.

For a moment, the two held each other’s gazes, both looking for different things. Noctis’s eyes no longer held the beautiful blue that Luna was so familiar with, now replaced with the fiery orange the scourge had wrought. His face was a rigid scowl, looking at Luna with nothing but hatred and contempt, seeing her as nothing but a prey to be snuffed out. His sword was held in a tight grip but something about his postured seemed so confident yet relaxed that made her even more fearful.

Luna searched for something, anything, of the real Noctis but she found nothing. She knew how the Scourge worked: it would keep chipping away at one’s humanity until there was nothing left.

“Noctis, _please_ , listen to me!”, she desperately begged. The prince’s hardened expression didn’t falter even slightly. “I can help you! You just have to trust me!”

That made Noctis stop in his tracks. He tilted his head as if thinking, his blank yet fiery eyes studying her carefully. “Help? _Trust?_ ” He spat out those words as if they were unfamiliar and venomous to him.

She nodded. If Noctis didn’t trust what Luna was saying, the least her words could do was stall for time. “Yes. Noctis, you’re not yourself. Please, let us help you.”

Noctis’s mouth twisted into a snarl. “’Us’?”, he echoed back mockingly let out an empty laugh. “As if I have people who actually care about me.”

Luna gritted her teeth at his words; she knew that the Scourge had the power to twist and corrupt one’s thoughts (it was how one fell to the darkness) but hearing those words come from the vibrant man she knew well tore at her heart. “Don’t say that! Of course, there people that care about you. Myself, Ignis, Prompto, Gladiolus and the rest of your friends!”

Noctis shook his head vehemently, as if trying to banish the words that reached his ears. “Liar! If I wasn’t the ‘Prince of Lucis’ or the precious ‘Chosen King’, none of you would care about me! You all would just leave me…” His breathing was harsh but as he trailed of, his voice became more solemn and weak. Like a part of the real Noctis was bleeding through all of that hatred. Even though the Scourge corrupted one’s thoughts, it also manipulated the vulnerabilities of its victim. “The world’s falling apart around me and where are they?!”

“They are always there for you, Noct!”, Luna retaliated before thinking. “You have no idea how much they’re worried about you, how much they want you back! I swear, they are-”

“Shut up! You’re lying! They’re liars! Just like dad, like everyone else!”

“You’re more important than you think, Noctis! To your friends and… and to me…”

Noctis looked down at his sword with an unreadable expression. “I always thought we’d get married someday, that we’d always be together.” He looked back up at Luna, studying her intently. “You could’ve stayed by my side, Luna…”

Luna wanted so desperately to reassure him that that was still possible but Noctis’s changed expression chilled her to the bone. He looked almost amused. He let out an emotionless chuckle. “Oh, well…”

Noctis suddenly surged forward with an angry cry and swung his sword down at Luna once again. She held up her Trident in front of her face before it could make impact. She pushed back their locked weapons and swiped at his midsection. Not to harm him, but to make him inch back and give them ample distance from each other. Noctis regained his footing and immediately swung his sword back, like he was getting ready to warp. Before he could throw his weapon, Luna channelled her power through her Trident, the ancient relic glowing and glittering with this fantastic golden light.

Luna threw the Trident in front of her face and squeezed her eyes shut. The magic channelled through her Trident exploded into sparkles around her, basking her in the protective light. Not too far in front of her, Luna heard Noctis shout out. She slowly opened her eyes as the glimmers floated around her like fireflies.

Noctis had his eyes scrunched shut and his hands were covering his face. As the little golden sparks made contact with his skin, he flinched away. He cried out in pain as he tried to bat them away. Luna felt guilty; because of the scourge ravaging Noctis’s body, it was only natural that her magic would be excruciating to him. It hurt Luna to see Noctis in pain but she had to remind herself that this was for his own good. If she wanted to heal him, she had to stay alive at all costs.

“That light…”, he muttered. “I need it _gone_!”

She couldn’t react quick enough to raise her Trident and block his next attack but she was able to raise her hand to cast Barrier around herself. The shield casted around her was able to block Noctis’s sword but she barely had any time to react before he began to raise his weapon again. Luna tried to cast another barrier around herself but Noctis was quicker. Just as the shield began to form, he slashed through the magic, the impact exploding in front of Luna.

The force of it sent her flying across the fiery landscape for a few seconds before hitting the hot ground and landed on her side. Pain was rushing through her body as she struggled to move. The feeling was agony as she tried to steady her arms from underneath her, already feeling her arms and legs were scraped and bruised from the impact. Her whole body ached and even amongst the roaring of fire and daemons alike, she could still hear Noctis slowly walking towards her. Luna didn’t even look up at the man approaching; all she knew was that she had to get up.

Seeing that her Trident had landed very close in front of her, Luna pulled herself across the scorching ground, her heart beating rapidly, blood rushing through her head. She had no idea how close Noctis was but she knew what would happen if she was defenceless. Her breathing shallow and rapid, Luna stretched out an arm to grab her Trident. She didn’t realise how drained of strength she was until she noticed how weak her grip was.

Luna’s heart leapt out of her chest when she felt the Trident being pulled out of her hand, possessing no strength to hold onto it. Her head shot up and she saw Noctis towering over her, his expression emotionless and cold at the same time. He held the Trident tightly in his hand and with such precision. The spearhead was pointing towards her and Noctis made no move to change his secure grip on it.

He just continued to walk towards her, his expression becoming more and more aggressive with each step.

Fear and adrenaline forced Luna to throw herself back. Despite the blaring heat of the ground and the pain in her arms, Luna desperately tried to scramble back. She knew exactly what Noctis was about to do.

She had no other weapons on her and the use of magic along with the pain in her body left her exhausted and no other means to defend herself from the man she loved.

Luna shook her head in dread. “No…”, she whispered helplessly. She gasped as tears began to form in her eyes. “Noctis, please… don’t…” Her words didn’t seem to register with him. A snarl grew across his face.

Luna sobbed. This couldn’t be how it ended. She couldn’t lose Noctis. They had both fought so hard to find each other again but they kept on being torn apart and it seemed like it was for good this time. The _monster_ that had corrupted Noctis slowly drove him apart from everyone he loved and took away everything that made him the kind man that he was. From childhood, they had promised that they would help each other fulfil their callings but now, Luna felt so useless. She had told herself that she would do everything she could to bring Noctis back to them and she failed. She had no idea what would become of Noctis if he killed her, if he would realise what he had done, if he would ever forgive himself.

If this was to be their last moments together, Luna wanted to convey the feelings she had ever since she heard of their engagement.

“I love you…”, she sobbed, letting her vulnerability and resignation show. “I love you, Noctis…”

There was no sign that Noctis cared or even acknowledged her confession. He continued looking down at her with distain and vengeance. His grip on the Trident constricted and he slowly raised it up, aiming for Luna’s stomach. Maybe it was foolish to believe simple words would break through the control the scourge had on his mind. Not even caring about the weapon in his hands, Luna kept her focus on the prince’s face. She wept as she looked into his sickly orange eyes.

Luna closed her own, trying to imagine the loving face she knew so well. She pictured Noctis’s vibrant blue eyes that reminded her of the starry sky, the soft yet animated smile she saw when their eyes met in Altissia after so many years apart. She thought all of the suffering they had gone through would’ve been worth it if they were together again but it wasn’t. Not if this was where it got them.

She shook those intrusive thoughts away. If she were to die now, she would want the final image in her mind to be of the way Noctis was.

“I’m so sorry…”, she whispered one final time. She could only hope that he would forgive himself for what he was about to do.

That he would forgive her for failing him.

“Goodbye, Luna,” he spat out in a voice she didn’t recognise.

Luna braced herself for the final blow when she heard a gunshot and Noctis crying out in pain and surprise. Her eyes flew open and saw Noctis kneeling in pain, the Trident discarded at his side. Looking through the flames and smoke, she could see Noctis gripping his calf, black and red blood seeping out from a wound. She heard other voices call out their names and, through the smoke, three other figures quickly emerged.

Prompto swiped the Trident away from Noctis.

Ignis pulled Luna to her feet.

Gladio placed himself between Noctis and their small group.

Luna gasped in relief and gratefully took her Trident from Prompto. Despite Gladio summoning his sword and acting like a shield between them and Noctis, Prompto and Ignis placed themselves slightly in front of Luna. Ignis held one of his daggers in one hand, the other placed on Luna’s arm in support. Prompto had his gun reluctantly trained on Noctis.

Even though their focus was on Noctis, she could tell all of their expressions matched her own anguish and sorrow. None of them wanted to face the prince they loved with all of their hearts.

“You okay?”, Prompto asked, sparing a glance at Luna, before redirecting his attention to Noctis, who was struggling to stand back up.

She placed a hand on her chest as if it could calm her racing heart. “I am now, of sorts.”

“Apologies for taking so long to find you both,” Ignis said solemnly as he summoned his other dagger.

Luna shook her head. “No need. I’m just grateful that you’re here now.”

She didn’t want to think about what would’ve happened if they _hadn’t_ shown up in time…

“Any idea how we want to deal with Noct?”, Gladio asked as Noctis finally stumbled to his feet.

The prince was breathing heavily through the pain of the wound in his leg. His breathing became more ragged as purple tendrils swirled around him and then focused on his wound. Noctis growled as the scourge wrapped his around his leg and seeped into the wound. It didn’t seem to heal the injury but the scourge seemed to stay fixated on it and Noctis finally stood up straighter.

“We need to subdue him,” Luna said with cold determination. “I need to get close enough for me to heal him without him attacking.”

“Uhhh, that might be a little tricky,” Prompto stammered as their friend began to slowly stride toward them, even angrier than before.

“Noct!”, Ignis called out, but it was like the prince didn’t hear his friend’s cry. “We’re here to help you!”

“A little late for that,” Noctis muttered bitterly.

“It’s not!”, Prompto exclaimed. “We’ve been searching for you ever since you went missing! We just want you back, buddy.”

“Says the person that _shot me_.”

“You were going to _kill_ Luna!”

“Maybe she’s not the only one that needs to die…”

“Can’t let you do that, Noct.” Gladio brandished his sword and reluctantly pointed it at the prince he was sworn to protect. “Even if you don’t think it now, you don’t want to do that.”

“Oh, really? Please, enlighten me on why that is.”

Ignis held out a hand in a vain attempt to placate him. “Noct, you mean more to us than you could ever know. We’re _brothers_. _All of us_.”

“Of course, we are. That’s why you abandoned me when I needed your help the most.”

“We didn’t abandon you!”, Prompto exclaimed. “We got separated in Altissia. We’d never leave you!”

The prince scoffed and picked up his sword, clearly not believing any of their words. His stance wasn’t welcoming.

“Noctis,” Luna said softly as Ignis began pulling her away from the approaching prince, “the fact that we’re all here shows that we _do_ care. But we can’t help you if you don’t let us.”

Even though Luna was clearly stalling for time until they could come up with a strategy to subdue Noctis, she meant every word that she was saying.

“I don’t _need your help!_ I don’t need any of you… I- I don’t have anyone… I’m alone…”, he muttered. “I’m alone…” He closed his eyes and leaned forward, tangling his hands in his hair as he continued mumbling intangible words under his breath.

It hurt them all to see Noctis in all of that pain. They couldn’t fathom what he was going through and how the scourge was messing with his mind. But that’s why they had to do everything they could to save him.

Against her better judgement, Luna cautiously stepped forward. “It’s okay. We’re here.” She reached out to place a comforting hand on his arm. Her hand began to glow gold and-

“ _NO!_ ”, Noctis roared and swung his sword at Luna. Whether it was to drive her away or as a lethal attack, Luna didn’t want to know.

Gladio grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back, swinging his own sword to clash with Noctis’s. Metal scraped against metal as Gladio tried to push the prince back without either of them getting injured. The Shield’s expression was a mix of fear and sadness as he looked into the blazing eyes of his charge.

“What’s wrong, Gladio?”, Noctis snarled. “Don’t want to fight the prince you were supposed to protect?”

The older man flinched at his friend’s harsh words that dug at his insecurities but maintained his steel expression. He knew that that wasn’t actually Noctis’s words yet it didn’t make hearing them in his voice hurt any less. “Real funny, Noct,” he grunted.

All the corrupted prince could do was cackle, the madness in his voice sounding nothing like the man they knew. Gladio finally pushed his sword against Noctis’s, shoving the prince back a few steps. However, Noctis quickly regained his foot, readying his sword again.

The four of them raised their weapons, ready to fight but stopped as the ground began to rumble around them. They didn’t have a chance to ponder what was going on when they heard Prompto yelp from behind them. They turned to see him shooting down a group of daemons that had been approaching from behind them. When they were sure that they were dealt with, they turned back around to see more of their twisted forms surrounding their prince. Luna had to stop herself from thinking that was what would happen to Noctis if they failed.

“Okay, that is _not_ fair!”, Prompto shouted as he reloaded his gun.

“It seems Noct’s not the only one we need to worry about,” Ignis said.

“Nothing we haven’t dealt with before,” Gladio responded. “Just have to make sure Noct doesn’t get us before we can get to him.”

“Easier said than done,” Luna muttered. “But it’s possible!”

With newfound determination, the group took on both defensive and offensive stances, ready to battle both the daemons and Noctis.

Several daemons leapt forward, launching themselves at the group but Prompto unleashed a shower of bullets on them whilst Ignis kicked them away before swiping at them with his daggers. They were taken down swiftly. Noctis, who was standing in place, scowled at them, looking almost annoyed by their actions.

As if spurred on by his distain, the daemons continued their onslaught. The group readied their weapons. Luna swung her Trident at two daemons that jumped at her and stunning them before Gladio took the opportunity to kill both of them in one slash. The Shield turned around to continue to attack when a daemon came from behind him. It pinned him to the ground but he tried pushing away with his sword. Prompto shot the creature and Gladio threw it off him, taking the blond’s hand to get up.

Noctis warped at them but Ignis got close enough to intercept him with his daggers. The prince redirected his efforts onto the advisor, slashing at his midsection. Ignis was narrowly avoiding his attacks but grunted when the sword thinly sliced through his shirt and a small line of blood seeped through. Noctis was about to strike again when Luna pushed Ignis out of the way before he could get hit again.

Using her Trident, Luna casted her Cure magic to heal the trio from the hits they had taken, their wounds and exhaustion fading. The three men muttered their thanks before taking on the daemons that were surrounding them. Luna was about to make her way over to them as a defence when she saw Noctis standing still in place, glaring at the trio for several moments. Given his aggression just moments before, the sight of him just standing in place scared her more than she thought. She had no idea what Noctis was thinking but she knew it wasn’t anything good. The prince slowly raised his palm up, orange and red sparks gathering at his fingers.

Luna’s blood ran cold when she realised that Noctis was summoning a fire spell. Their eyes met and he gave her a twisted smile as he was getting ready to unleash it-

onto _his friends_ -

“ _Watch out!_ ”

She rushed forward, threw herself in front of the men, and summoned a barrier. She conjured enough magic to surround all four of them. The fire magic pushed against the barrier, Luna feeling only a bit of the heat on her hands. A few seconds passed before the fire dissipated and Luna felt safe enough to drop the barrier. However, as soon as she did so, Noctis warped through the residual smoke and swung his sword at the entire group.

Ignis took Luna’s Trident (and she let him) and swiped back at Noctis in retaliation. When it seemed like the prince wasn’t being driven away by the attack, Ignis took one of his daggers and swiped at his stomach several times, the air whipping from the force. The dagger was right above Noctis’s stomach and he had to inch away to avoid the sharp weapon.

When it seemed that ample distance was created from Noctis, Ignis threw the Trident back to Luna. Taking advantage of Noctis being temporarily distracted, she channelled magic through her Trident. She waited for the others to get out of her way before she unleashed her magic in a wind attack. The magic manifested from her Trident and she swung it in a horizontal swipe and a gust of wind burst forward, pushing Noctis and several daemons backward. Prompto took the opportunity to shoot at the stunned daemons that were struggling to get to their feet. The prince threw an arm over his eyes in a vain attempt to shield himself from the attack.

“Luna!”, Gladio yelled. He was knelt down and holding out a hand. “Over here!”

Realising what the older man was suggesting, Luna sprinted at him. He grabbed her wrist in a tight grip as she hopped onto his raised knee. Gladio used their weight to launch Luna over his shoulder and up into the air. While she was airborne, she took her Trident in both hands, the spearhead aiming for the ground. She quickly came falling down and put all of her force onto the Trident. She landed directly beside Noctis, the Trident stabbed into the ground and hot rocks exploded around it from the impact. Noctis exclaimed in surprise and stumbled back. Once he regained his footing, he warped backwards, landing with a backflip.

Luna kept her eyes on Noctis, her hands still wrapped around the Trident. She heard rapid footsteps approaching behind her and she temporarily turned around to see Prompto rushing towards her. She briefly jumped out of the way as he slid across the ground towards the Trident, hand wrapping around the bottom, and used the force of his slide to spin around, shooting his gun at the daemons surrounding them.

The attack was also enough to drive Noctis back; despite the prince using his sword to deflect the bullets, he had to back away as well. When Prompto was done with his attack, he jumped up, pulling the Trident out of the ground and throwing it back to Luna, who caught it with one hand.

Ignis and Gladio soon joined the two of them once they were done with the daemons. “We’re not any close to subduing Noctis,” Ignis stated.

Luna knew he was right. Every time they tried to weaken Noctis, he either tactically retreated or forced them on the defensive. They had to keep him from moving so that they would have the opportunity to subdue him.

She looked straight at Noctis, her gaze hardened. “I’ve got an idea.”

“Yeah?”, Gladio asked.

“What do you need us to do?”, Ignis inquired.

“Just be ready,” was all that Luna replied.

“Uh, I don’t like the sound of that,” Prompto said nervously.

Luna didn’t respond.

Instead, she ran at Noctis, Trident raised.

He raised his sword up in surprise, not expecting the princess to suddenly be attacking him. Noctis consistently blocked every one of her blows with ease but Luna didn’t relent. Eventually, Noctis kicked Luna in the shin, sending her to one knee. Before he could strike her down, Luna locked their weapons, pushing at his with all of her strength. Noctis only doubled down his attempt to disarm Luna, his hostile expression refusing to falter.

All of a sudden, Gladio came sprinting from his side. Noctis looked quickly at him in shock but didn’t have any time to react or warp away before the bigger man tackled him to the ground. He grabbed his wrist of the hand holding his sword and squeezed hard until the prince cried out in pain, forced to let of it. Ignis came from his other side and kicked his weapon away.

“Hold him!”, Luna commanded and the men quickly complied.

Ignis and Prompto took Noctis by the legs while Gladio took both of Noctis’s wrists and pinned his arms to the ground so that he couldn’t summon anymore weapons. Noctis growled and futilely tried to pull his body out of their grip. His head whipped from side to side. “Let me go! I’m gonna kill you!”

Luna frowned in sympathy and, without fear, approached the struggling prince. She knelt down at his side and Noctis kept his gaze on her, the aggression in his face not subsiding. He thrashed against the restraints even more. “Get away from me…”, he whispered in defeat, his vulnerability finally showing through.

“It’s okay, Noctis.” Luna ran a gentle hand through his soft hair. Her expression didn’t waver even as he flinched away in disgust. “You’re going to be okay.”

Taking his head in her hands, Luna leant forward so that their foreheads were touching. She closed her eyes. “Blessed Stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness’s blight…”

The healing magic manifested from Luna’s head and fingers, allowing the golden glow to seep into Noctis’s skin. At first, it seemed like nothing happened, when all of a sudden, Noctis began to scream in pain and struggled even harder to get away. Darkness exuded from his body as it was gradually being purged. His screams filled the harrowing silence around them and hot tears ran down his face. “ _Stop it! Let me go!_ ”

But Luna didn’t falter. She tried to ignore the piercing screams of her beloved and continued focusing on her magic, sending it throughout his body, making sure every bit of the scourge was purged. Noctis continued to struggle and cry, his movements and voice becoming less aggressive and more pained. Luna took that as a sign that it was working. It obviously felt terrible to Noctis but it had to be done.

Soon, the dark swirls around him began to fade and dissipate. Eventually, Noctis became and weaker and weaker and ceased his struggling, allowing himself to go boneless in his friend’s grips. His glowing eyes slowly fell shut. Every now and again, he would feebly flinch his head to the side in pain, most likely due to the magic purging the remaining scourge.

After a few minutes, the glow of Luna’s magic faded, indicating that there was nothing left to heal. She leaned back but kept her hands placed on the sides of Noctis’s face, his friends still holding him down, though their grips had relaxed slightly. The four of them watched Noctis anxiously as they listened to his shallow breathing, his eyes still closed.

A minute had passed when Noctis’s breathing had changed. A low groan rumbled in his tired throat and he struggled to open his heavy eyes. The group watched in anticipation, hoping that their prince was back with them.

Noctis opened his eyes and four heavy, relieved breaths were let out simultaneously. His eyes were no longer the fiery orange that the scourge had brought about, but were back to the lively blue they all knew so well. With a confirming nod from Luna, his three friends took that as a sign that they could relinquish their hold on him.

Luna let out a shaky sigh, allowing her hand to card its way through Noctis’s raven hair. Words couldn’t describe how grateful she was that he was back, free of the darkness that entrapped him.

The prince’s eyes were hazy as he blinked blearily, trying to clear his vision. His gaze travelled amongst the faces above him, confusion painted across his face. His mind most likely trying to catch up with everything that had happened to him since he was infected with the scourge.

Prompto was the first to act; he reached out to take his friend’s hand. He smiled weakly. “Hey, buddy… you feeling okay?”

Noctis turned his head to look at him but he didn’t seem to recognise the face above, if his still confused expression was anything to go by. “Wha-”, his raspy voice started to say but he began to cough dryly. His throat was still sore from screaming just minutes ago.

He was clearly struggling to speak through his coughing so Ignis put a hand on top of his head in an attempt to soothe the stressed prince. “Shhh, it’s okay, Noct. You’re safe.”

“He’s right,” Gladio affirmed, resting a hand on his charge’s shoulder. “Rest for now, kid. We’ve got you.”

For a moment, they thought that Noctis wasn’t processing their presence or their comforting words. Soon, however, Noctis sighed in content, his eyes slipping shut knowing that he was in the safe embrace of his brothers. It seemed like he had fallen asleep but after a while his eyes unexpectedly opened again.

His eyes were looking into Luna’s. He looked up at her in wonder and began to raise his free hand. He reached out his hand and his fingers reluctantly grazed against her cheek. The wonder and confusion were still evident in his face, as if he didn’t believe she was real.

“L-Luna?”, he whispered.

She couldn’t hide her tears. She let them flow freely as she held Noctis’s gaze and placed her hand over his so that his hand was resting flat against her cheek. “Yes, Noctis, it’s me. I’m here.”

_I’m always here. And I’ll never leave you again…_

Noctis’s breath hitched at the sound of her soft voice and tears continued to stream down his face. He struggled to keep his eyes open, wanting to keep the face of the woman he waited to long to reunite with in his vision. However, he couldn’t resist the exhaustion weighing down at him. He had been in grasp of scourge for days now, which would’ve had taxing effects on both his mind and body. Now that he was healed, he could finally rest and heal.

He fell asleep,the people he loved gently holding onto him, surrounding him protectively. His hand went slack but Luna continued to hold onto it.

“Thank goodness,” Ignis whispered. He looked over at her. “You have our thanks.”

She shook her head tiredly. “There is no need for thanks.” She gave Noctis’s hand a soft squeeze, not taking her eyes off him. “I’d do it a hundred times over if I had to.”

“We have to get out of here. There could be other daemons around,” Prompto said, looking around in suspicion.

Gladio nodded. “Yeah, I’d rather not sit around to find out. Especially with Noct in the state that he-”

Luna struggled to hear their voices as she heard a ringing in her ears. She had been travelling and fighting endlessly to find Noctis and the previous battle had only exasperated her exhaustion. Now that Noctis was finally healed and safe, Luna felt the remaining strength she feebly grasping onto seep from her body. She knew that she had to stay awake lest she wanted to be vulnerable to daemons but she couldn’t resist.

The three men called out her name in worry and concern but Luna couldn’t respond. She slumped against Noctis’s side, head resting on his shoulder, joining him in the realm of sleep.

* * *

Luna opened her eyes and she found herself standing on a train.

She looked around and was startled to see Imperial soldiers sitting on the seats, though they didn’t seem to pay her any mind. Not wanting any attention to be on her, Luna shrunk into herself and moved across the carriage as discreetly as she could. A bark caught her off guard and, to her surprise, Umbra was sitting by the train doors, as if waiting for her. She didn’t know what he was doing here but she grateful that she had someone familiar around her.

Luna weaved her way around the soldiers, trying to not bump into them. She had no idea where this train was going so, she had to keep her guard up. As she stopped by the doors, she saw something odd out of the corner of her eye. Like someone was beside her, even though she knew that no one wasn’t. She slowly turned her head to the side to examine it but the black hair and clothes she caught sight of made her breath stop.

Where her reflection was supposed to be stood the man she loved.

Luna quickly whirled around and placed her hands on the glass, as if she could reach him. However, she blinked once and he was gone as quickly as he came. All she could see was her own reflection, her sorrowful expression staring back, mocking her. The name of her love on her lips.

The doors of the train slid open and Umbra immediately jumped out, prompting Luna to follow.

“There she is!”, an Imperial soldier exclaimed sharply.

Suddenly, all of their weapons were trained on her and Luna had to quickly summon her Trident to deflect the bullets. Umbra barked and she saw him standing at the top of some stairs that looked to be empty. She immediately bounded after her companion, defending herself from soldiers rushed at her with her Trident. She reached the top of the stairs and found a group of soldiers rushing up to block her. Summoning magic from her Trident, she unleashed a gust of wind that knocked them off their feet and pushed them down the stairs.

Not missing a beat, Luna rushed down the stairs. Once she reached the bottom, she saw Umbra waiting for her in front of an elevator. She immediately began sprinting towards him, her destination in plain sight.

However, when she just a few feet from the elevator, she saw something fly behind her and landed in front of her, bouncing a few times before stopping. It took her a second to realise but she didn’t have enough time to react. She stumbled back a few steps and threw her arms over her face in desperation as the item detonated in front of her.

Flames exploded around her and Luna vainly tried to shield herself from the heat. The fire roared as she strained to escape but the flames surrounding her prevented her from doing so. Luna cried out in desperation, hoping that the fires would ease before the soldiers could reach her.

However, she was caught off guard when the flames and blazing heat suddenly ceased. Luna struggled to keep her balance as she felt like she was almost knocked off her feet. When she opened her eyes, she realised it was because she was now standing somewhere completely different. She didn’t have any time to wonder where she was or how she got there when she heard a bellowing roar from above her.

She looked up and saw a behemoth towering over her, its massive paws stomping over to her. It continued to roar and tried to crush her under its giant paw. Luna quickly dodged its attacks, knowing that her Trident wasn’t going to be enough for her to fight it on her own. She turned on her heels and immediately began sprinting away. The behemoth swung its paw and hit her from the side, sending her flying across the room. She painfully crashed against a wall and crumpled to the ground in a heap, struggling to climb back to her feet, debris falling around her.

Umbra’s sharp barking distracted her from the pain shooting throughout her body and gestured with his head towards a large mirror that stretched across an entire wall. Trusting her guardian whole-heartedly and knowing that she had to escape the behemoth, Luna forced herself up and ran across the room, following Umbra towards the mirror.

Luna didn’t have it in her to question Umbra jumping through the glass that rippled like water but she immediately dove in after him. Just as she was about to pass through the glass, she swore she saw another’s reflection in the place of hers-

The thought was immediately brushed aside as she closed her eyes and jumped through the mirror. She immediately felt disoriented when she realised that she didn’t land anywhere and was instead floating in place. Everything was dead silent. She whipped her head around trying to find Umbra but he was nowhere to be seen.

All she could see was blue.

Sylleblossoms.

Hundreds of them, floating in place with Luna.

Frowning, Luna tried reaching out to touch one but her movements were slow and sluggish. Whenever she tried making contact with them, they floated away. She tried to speak but barely anything came out; her voice was faint, as if she couldn't hear herself. Seeing the blue expanding around and beyond her and seeing that the only source of light came from a rippling surface above, Luna deduced that she was… _underwater_.

But this wasn’t what being underwater felt like. No, this was something else.

Luna tried swimming around and to the light above when she caught sight of something black from the corner of her eye. She immediately whipped around and gasped when she saw-

Noctis.

_Noctis._

Noctis was _here_.

He was _here with her_.

She had _found him_.

The prince was floating in the water as well but his eyes were shut, like he was asleep. His arms and legs were relaxed as they moved on their own in the water. He almost looked peaceful but Luna knew she couldn’t leave him here. She had to bring him back, back to the real world.

Luna grunted as she struggled to swim through the heavy water but she pushed through the difficulty with determination in her heart. The closer she got to Noctis, however, she noticed that blue and black tendrils emerged from the sylleblossoms, almost joining the flow of the water. Luna batted them away whenever they got close to her but terror gripped her when she saw the tendrils surrounding Noctis. Like they were about to pull him away from her.

More and more dark tendrils emerged as she pushed through them on the path to Noctis but Luna yelped as began trying to wrap themselves around her wrists. She aimlessly shook her arms and vanquished them with ease.

Noctis, however, was defenceless as they began to wrap around his body.

She called his name but barely anything could be heard. She continued pushing her way through the flowers.

She called his name again, this time, noticeably louder but still quiet.

Luna was only a few feet away from Noctis when the flowers were about to drown both of their bodies.

She stretched her hand through the flora, anguish on her face, and screamed out, “ _Noctis!_ ” one final time, her voice louder and clearer than ever.

As if hearing her voice, Noctis’s eyes slowly opened, instantly seeing the woman he loved reaching out to him. Desperation filled his heart and he immediately threw out a hand towards Luna, the fear and sorrow in his face matching hers.

Tears streamed freely from both of their eyes, joining the water.

Their fingers touched and-

Light.

* * *

Noctis shot up. “ _Luna!_ ” His hand was stretched out like he was still reaching out to her. When he realised that she wasn’t in front of him, his heart raced in his chest, his breath picking up frantically.

He couldn’t seem to process where he was but found that he was covered in something that entangled his legs. He tried to twist away but all he could do was toss and turn in place, distressing him further. Noctis cried out in desperation and lashed his arms out.

“Noct!”, a worried voice called out.

It was definitely one he recognised but Noctis couldn’t push past the fog in his brain to put a name to it. He had no idea where he was and had no memory of how he got there or even the last few days. All he could remember right now was Luna’s frightened face and-

“Just breathe, Noct. You’re alright,” the voice continued. It gently shushed him and rubbed his back, slowly easing his anxiety and frantic movements.

“Iggy, what’s wrong?”

“Is he awake?”

“I think he’s a little disoriented. Give him a minute.”

Noctis heard two more voices join the conversation and they were all a jumble in his mind.

“Noct?”, another voiced asked, confused yet fearful. “You okay there, buddy?”

He blinked through the haze in his vision and after a few minutes it finally cleared. Sitting in front of him were his three friends, concern on all of their faces. He couldn’t process what they were doing here with him but their presence instantly began to soothe him.

Noctis shivered and wrapped his hands around his arms. “Y-Yeah… I’m okay.”

Prompto let a long sigh. “Thank the Six, we thought you were a goner for a second.”

Gladio shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe you did, I wasn’t too worried.”

The blond snorted. “Says the guy that was hovering over him all night.”

“Was not.”

“Was too.”

Ignis sighed at their bickering but kept his attention on Noctis. “How do you feel?”

Noctis turned his head to the side. “Fine,” he mumbled. “Just confused.”

“That’s understandable.” The advisor paused for a moment, the silence uncharacteristic of him. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“The last thing…”, Noctis trailed off. Out of the blue, he remembered seeing Luna underwater, surrounded by flowers. “Luna!” He suddenly began moving around, trying to get out of what now realised was a bed in train car. “Where is she?!”

Ignis grabbed him by the shoulders to steady him. “Noct, calm yourself! She’s fine.”

Noctis gasped for breath. “She is?”

Prompto nodded and pointed to the other side of the room. “Yeah, look.”

Noctis immediately followed his gesture and caught sight of Luna lying on her side in bed across from him. She was asleep, her long hair hanging around her face, no longer kept up in those immaculate braids. She was wearing a pair of grey pyjama bottoms and an old t-shirt, most likely borrowed from one of the guys. Her lips were slightly parted and her breathing was gentle, indicating that her sleep was a deep one.

Noctis sighed in relief at the sight of her safe and sound but his concern was now replaced with confusion. What was Luna doing here with them? How did she get here? He tried pushing through his memory but everything was a blur after hearing her speech in Altissia.

“Noct?”, Ignis asked.

Noctis realised that he was so lost in thought that he realised he had been staring at Luna for a while. Reluctantly, he tore his gaze away from her to look his friends in the eyes. “What happened? What is Luna doing here? Is everything alright?”

The three of his friends looked amongst each other in apprehension, as if nervous to tell him. Why? What had happened while he was out?

After a minute, Ignis was the first to speak. “During your covenant with the Hydrean, we lost contact with you. By the time the three of us made it to the altar, you were nowhere to be found.”

Noctis’s mouth hung open. He went… missing? Why couldn’t he remember any of that?

“But we found Luna,” Gladio continued. “She didn’t seem injured but she was unconscious so we got her out of there as soon as we could.”

“And no matter what we did, we couldn’t find you,” Prompto said desolately.

Ignis nodded. “Once Luna awoke, she told us that she had to find you as soon as possible. She said she had to heal you.”

“Heal me?”, Noctis echoed in confusion. None of what they were saying made any sense to him. He pushed his mind to try and remember what happened to him in Altissia but nothing came up. His mind was blank. He was about to speak when a throbbing sensation filled his head.

_A wicked grin._

_A blur of purple._

_Pain embracing his entire being._

Noctis gasped and stared down at his hands. Was that… a memory?

“The starscourge,” he exhaled suddenly. He looked back up at his friends. “I was infected, wasn’t I?” The silence that hung amongst them was enough confirmation for him. “What happened after that?”

“Luna had gone off on her own to find you,” Gladio answered. “We tried to warn her it would be dangerous but she insisted that you were running out of time.”

“And then she found me and… healed me, right?”

“More or less,” Prompto muttered.

 _That- doesn’t sound too good_. “Why? What else happened?”

The silence returned. It indicated that he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear. Ignis placed a calming hand on his arm “Noct, you… weren’t in your right mind when she found you…”

“What? What does that mean? Did I do something?”

“Please understand that we do not hold you responsible for your actions-”

“What. Did I do?”, Noctis demanded.

Prompto sighed. “You didn’t want her help so…”

“You attacked her,” Gladio bluntly revealed.

A heavy pressure began to press down Noctis’s chest. The breath was stolen from his throat. All words and responses had left him.

_He- He attacked her. He attacked Luna._

His breathing began to quicker again and he ducked his head down, resisting the urge to look over at her. He didn’t deserve to be anywhere near her, why would she feel safe being in the same room as him after he-

“Oh, Six,” he gasped. “Did I hurt her?”

Gladio nodded over at her. “Does she look hurt to you?”

Noctis really didn’t want to look, lest he saw something that proved his worries right. Hesitantly, he looked over at her again. She had no major wounds or injuries and looked essentially unharmed. That didn’t make it any better though.

“When you say I attacked her, what you mean is… I tried to kill her, didn’t I?”

The three of them nodded silently. Noctis wanted to be sick.

“But we stopped you!”, Prompto quickly explained.

All Noctis could do was nod in thanks. He couldn’t imagine what could’ve happened if he actually succeeded. “And then she healed me?”

“Well, not exactly…”, Prompto vaguely said.

“What does that mean?”

“It wasn’t that simple.” Ignis continued to dodge his questions.

“Why? What else did I do?”

“Luna wasn’t the only one you attacked,” was all Gladio could say.

The three of them held Noctis’s gaze.

_…_

_No._

_He couldn’t-_

_No._

_Not them too._

_No. Nonono._

_Nonononono-_

He screamed.

“Noct, calm down!” He vaguely processed Gladio grabbing him by the shoulders.

“Noct, it’s okay! Everything’s okay.” Ignis came behind him and was rubbing soothing circles on his back.

“How can you say that! I tried to kill all of you!” Those words were like poison on his tongue. He clasped a hand over his mouth, trying so hard to not be sick. Not only did he try to kill the woman he loved but also tried to kill the only family he had left.

Prompto shook his head. “It wasn’t you, Noct!”

“It was!”

“No, it wasn’t!”, Gladio insisted. “The scourge messed with your mind, made you into someone else.”

“But it was still my hands! My weapons! What would’ve happened if you hadn’t stopped me?!” Noctis struggled against them all, trying to escape. He had to get away from them. He could almost remember the weight of his sword in his hands, all of their terrified faces. Him _enjoying_ it-

“We don’t have to think that because it didn’t happen! You’re safe, Luna’s safe, we’re safe!”

Noctis couldn’t find it in himself to respond. He knew there was no point contemplating what could’ve happened but he couldn’t fathom how quick they were to forgive him. He may not ever remember everything he did but the knowledge of it was punishment enough.

“Noct,” Ignis sighed in sympathy. “What happened was a terrible thing but no one holds you responsible for it. You shouldn’t either.”

“He’s right,” Gladio’s gruff voice affirmed. “The important thing now is that we’re all okay.”

“Yeah!”, Prompto asserted. “And we’re gonna make sure no one messes with us again.”

Noctis couldn’t believe what they saying. Had they really forgiven him that easy? Despite everything he had done to them, they were still resolved at remaining by his side. He remembered all the times they were told to stay by each other’s sides, that they were brothers. And Noctis knew that was right Even if it seemed like they were torn apart, they always stuck together. They would sometimes have arguments they thought would break them up but it only made their bonds stronger. Their friendship was something you’d have to really hard to destroy.

He couldn’t have asked for a better group of brothers.

“You guys really are the best,” he laughed sadly.

Prompto crawled up next to him. “Aww, Noct, stop! You’re gonna make me cry!”

Noctis smirked and elbowed him playfully. “Yeah, yeah.”

Ignis continued massaging his back, relaxing him further. “I know it’s hard now, Noct, but it will get better.

“We’re gonna help you get through this.” Gladio threw an arm over his shoulder. “Luna too.”

“Thanks, guys,” Noctis sighed. His began slipping shut and tried to keep them open in vain.

His friends chuckled and gently began settling him back into bed. Once he started to fall asleep, it was hard for him to stay awake.

Gladio settled the blanket over him and Ignis ran a hand through his hair. Prompto smiled. “Sweet dreams, buddy.”

And then he was gone.

* * *

Noctis was in a deep, dreamless sleep. He grateful; everything that had happened left him completely exhausted and he needed rest so badly. He didn’t have a dream like before, where he felt like he was being drowned underwater. That left him with even more fear and anxiety upon waking up even when he knew they weren’t in any danger.

He dreaded waking up. He knew everyone was going to be hovering over him for the next few days to make sure he was okay but he wished that they would be more concerned about themselves. _They_ were the ones who almost lost their lives to _him_. He didn’t want to think about the venomous scourge ravaging his body, making him turn his sword against the people he loved.

Instead, he tried to focus on himself in the now. He was fine. He was safe. He was free of the scourge.

He was also waking up.

Noctis groaned gently, stirring in bed. He opened his eyes, blinking slowly. Once his vision was clear, he found himself staring up at the slabs of the top bunk he was sleeping under.

“Noctis?”, a soft voice called. He felt something softly squeeze his fingers.

The prince was brought back to lucidity by that voice. _Her_ voice. Noctis pulled himself half right up in bed.

At his bedside sat Luna, who was holding his hand, tears in her eyes. Noctis was left breathless at the sight of someone he never thought he would have close to him again. Without warning, he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Luna, pulling her close to his chest.

Luna’s shoulders trembled and she immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Noctis heard her weeping into his shoulder. Twelve years. Twelve years and they were now together.

_Finally._

“You’re here,” he sobbed. “You’re really here.”

Luna let out a wet laugh. “That I am…”

They sat crying in each other’s arms for several minutes, still trying to process that they had reunited after so many years. After another minute, Noctis reluctantly broke them apart. He kept a hand on her shoulder and used the free one to rest on the side of her face. He traced her cheek down to her jaw, keeping his focus on her brilliant eyes that made him think of the free sky. He was breathless as he continued to caress her face, wanting to commit every detail of her to his memory. He hadn’t had her this close in twelve years and Noctis wanted to absorb every aspect of her lest she suddenly disappeared from his arms. Luna kept her eyes on Noctis as well. Despite the tears in her eyes, she was smiling brightly. As Noctis’s fingers were tracing her face, she slowly entangled hers into his hair, smoothly running them through it.

Noctis then remembered what he had tried to do to her. He couldn’t get rid of the thought of him trying to… _kill_ Luna. He had no right to be this close to her, to be touching her.

To Luna’s surprise, his fingers suddenly paused on her face and he unexpectedly retracted his hand and looked away from her.

“Noctis?”

He flinched and then paused for a few seconds. “I’m- I’m so sorry…”

She ran a hand through his hair. She knew that Noctis was going to blame himself for what he had done while infected by the scourge. But she couldn’t allow him to feel guilty. “Noctis,” she sighed. “I don’t want you to say that you’re sorry. I don’t blame you for what happened.”

“You should,” he mumbled. “I don’t know why you’re even near me.”

Luna gaped at him. “How can you say that?!”

“How can you be so cool about this?”, Noctis demanded. “I tried to kill you, Luna. I almost did!”

“ _Almost’_!”, Luna emphasised. “You didn’t kill anyone, Noctis.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that I could have.”

Luna sighed. “I know…” She knew that it was going to be a while before Noctis would stop blaming himself. “But none of us blame you.” Noctis didn’t respond. “If it were the other way around, do you think I should blame myself?”

Noctis’s head shot up in shock. “Of course not!” She smirked slightly. He blinked at her in silence. “Right…”

Luna took him by the shoulders. “Noctis, I cannot imagine how all of this is making you feel. But what I do know is that you wouldn’t have done of that had you not been infected. Holding yourself responsible and constantly blaming yourself won’t do you any good.”

“I-”

“You mean so much to all of us, Noctis. Nothing will ever change that.”

And Luna meant every word she said. Words couldn’t describe how grateful she was to have Noctis at her side. Ever since she saw him in Altissia, she ached to hold him in her arms. She had been waiting for this moment from the second she first heard of their engagement. After so many years apart, they would finally be able to see each other again. When she found out Noctis went missing after seeing him infected by the starscourge, she was determined to find him no matter what. They had just found each other after so many years, she wasn’t about to let him go.

And now he was here. And they were together.

Noctis was at a loss, not knowing what to say in response to Luna’s kind words. He wiped at his eyes and ignored how his fingers came back damp. “Luna, I… thank you.”

“It’s no trouble at all. I meant every word-”

“Not just that. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. I’ll never be able to pay you back for that.”

“You don’t have to. I’ll always save you when you need me.”

“And I’ll always be here to protect you. No matter what danger this world throws at us.”

“Good.” She winked playfully. “But let’s hope that constant danger _isn’t_ a regular occurrence.”

Noctis let out a surprised chuckle which soon evolved into a long yawn. Luna giggled. “You’re still tired?”

He blinked his eyes shut for a moment before facing her again. “Sorry.”

She ran a hand through his soft hair. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be here.”

“Okay,” he mumbled sleepily. He hesitantly held out a hand. “Stay with me?”

Luna smiled softly at him. “Alright.”

A second later, Luna pulled back the blanket and slid into the bed. Noctis moved across to give her some room. She settled down next to him and watched as he struggled to keep his eyes open. She laughed lightly, wrapping an arm around his back and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. “Goodnight, Noctis.”

Noctis grinned and took her fingers in his, tenderly kissing them. “Night, Luna…” He finally closed his eyes.

Luna smiled at the sight in front of her. She laid her head down on the pillow and closed her eyes with a content sigh. There was still a lot they had to do but, in that moment, she didn’t care.

The two of them could finally _rest._

And if any of the guys walked in while they were sleeping… well, they’d save the teasing for the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> AND NOTHING BAD HAPPENED TO ANY OF THEM EVER AGAIN THE END!!! :D
> 
> MASSIVE THANKS to everyone that read and enjoyed and everyone on twitter that supported and showed interest in this fic (and for listening to my rambles about getting it done lol)
> 
> This started out as a Noctis vs Luna + chocobros omen fight but as I was writing it, other ideas came to mind and essentially made it everything I wanted with Luna. She had so much potential as a character, the romance with Noct could’ve been much better and her interactions with the guys would’ve been awesome!!
> 
> In case anyone was confused by my descriptions of Luna’s magic here, a datamined script revealed Luna as a guest party member in royal edition and had a bunch of different abilities. This can be seen here!! https://twitter.com/calary7/status/1276393317605883904?s=21
> 
> Anyway, I'm @xvsylleblossoms on Twitter where I scream about Final Fantasy XD
> 
> Massive thanks again to you all!! :D


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